Dodging the raindrops

Bank Holiday Monday lived up to its reputation of raining almost all day, so when Tuesday arrived with a promise of a dry day, even though the sky was grey and threatening, we decided we’d give the bikes an airing.

Well T’s bike doesn’t really need airing, it regularly gets a blast down the country lanes around home. Mine on the other hand needed a few cobwebs blown off it.

Just a short ride he says, nothing as strenuous as last time!!

Huh!, I’m sure he has some ulterior motive on these so called ‘short‘ bike rides.

When I got home, and recovered enough to actually switch my computer on, I checked the route on Anquet Maps………..

Thirteen miles AGAIN!!!!!!! The photo is of a local ford, with one of the three newly installed, rather hard not to miss depth signs. Do you think we’re expecting some deep floods soon.

Wednesday saw more rain, so it was another day of either watching raindrops race each other down the window, or channel hopping on the TV, I ended up watching a channel showing La Vuelta, the Spanish cycle race.

The camera shots of the blues skies and golden beaches, as they skirted the Atlantic coast and suddenly I was there, parked up in our motorhome, basking in the warm sun, until the rumble of distant thunder drew my eyes back to the window and the raindrops that were still racing down, even faster now.

Depression was setting in fast this week, but the one thing that always lifts my spirits, is getting up high on a hill somewhere.

Thursday, and only showers forecast.

Where could we go, that wasn’t too far away, that was high up, and where Jasp would be able to cope with a walk.

Broadway Tower, Worcestershire.

A short drive from home, and we were parked by the cafe in the Tower grounds, the sky looked threatening again, and there were a couple of short showers, but after the short walk to the Tower, and seeing the views from the top, the rain is forgotten.

T with Sal and Jasp, walking towards Broadway Tower. A Folly, built in 1798, it is said to have views over a sixty two mile radius over sixteen counties.

Just to my left from where I took the above photo is this plaque:

in remembrance of the crew of a Whitley Bomber, that crashed during training in 1943.

We wandered past the Tower and along to the Cotswold Way footpath, that leads down to the town of Broadway.

Too far and steep for Jasp to cope with, though once he saw the sheep, his pace quickened.

Making our way back to the motor, we had a cuppa and some crisps, helped by S&J (see slideshow below).

As the tower isn’t far from the Snowshill lavender fields, we decided to drive there to see if any flowers remained, though sadly just the odd bloom here and there.

In all honesty I hadn’t expected to find any though, as other years I’d visited earlier, and also Sat Nav and Cider had captured some lovely lavender pics hereat the beginning of August.

We drove straight past, and down through the village of Snowshill, discussing ‘where next?’

“Aha!, I know”, I said, “how about the steam railway (Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway) at Toddington”. This has been a favourite haunt of mine for many years, and where a few of the photos here were taken.

The GWR is a beautifully preserved steam railway, running between Laverton and Cheltenham racecourse. In the years I’ve been visiting, I’ve seen the track extend north, from Toddington, over Stanway viaduct to Laverton.

They have been hit hard by a couple of landslips in recent years though, in 2010 the Gotherington Slip and in 2011 the disastrous Chicken curve collapse that severed the line just north of Winchcombe.

The restoration appeal is ongoing, and hopefully one day trains will be able to travel the full length again, but at present they run a diesel rail north of the collapse, and a steam engine to the south.

Arriving at Toddington station, the car park was full of TV film vehicles, there were a couple of old motors parked up, and many men dressed in what I would term as ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ police uniforms.

Wandering around the car park, curiosity got the better of us, so I pushed T forward to enquire what was being filmed, as I went to check on S & J, who we’d left in the motor.

The two vehicles, which were being used in the filming of a new series of Father Brown, due to be screened early 2013.

As there was only a diesel running at Toddington, and I’d been hoping to get some photos of the steam engines, we decided to drive over to the Winchcombe station at Greet.

Checking the timetable, there was one due in forty minutes, so we wandered onto the platform, purchased a couple of pieces of homemade walnut cake from the ‘olde worlde’ cafe and plonked ourselves down to wait (it’s nice being time rich ;-))

T with S & J. I guess he must look rather odd, sitting on the floor, between two benches, but an earlier downpour had left them both still covered in beads of raindrops.

I was rewarded with this image of 7903 Foremarke Hall, as it moves to the front of the carriages for its return journey to Cheltenham.

Travelling home, we noticed the roads getting wetter, and on arriving home, I found my washing that I’d hoped would be dry, was wetter than when I’d put it out.

Lovely collection of images once again. I love getting out of my world for a few minutes. I like the old trains but really loved the photos of S&J sharing your crisps. We’ve gone they way of the past also, taking drinks & snackies from home… It’s nice not having to find a shop when you feel like something, and sensible if there’s a delay on the road.